14 DAY TRIAL // A male patient from a Purcell, Oklahoma hospital stole an ambulance and took it on a joyride on Saturday evening.
The patient took the vehicle right from the emergency room of St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City and drove it about 30 miles south to the town of Purcell.
Authorities say the mental patient was being treated by medical staff when he climbed into the front seat and took off. After being notified, police was able to quickly locate the ambulance thanks to its internal GPS, which also gave them information about the speed and direction of the vehicle.
“After we received that information we started tracking the ambulance so we were giving that information to the other agencies that were getting involved,” a police spokesperson told a local TV station.
Moore, Norman, and Purcell Police collaborated in the chase, but the man’s joyride was brought to an end by the Oklahoma Police.
According to local news outlet News Channel 4, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol managed to stop the driver on a highway in Purcell after setting up “stop sticks” near mile marker 95 on I-35. Two of the ambulance’s tires were deflated and the man was forced to stop.
Purcell Police says they took the patient into custody without incident. However, the man wasn't taken to jail, but to a local hospital.
At this point, there is no information available regarding the identity of the patient or what he was being treated for.